Business Development Lead at Save the Children UK

About the role

As Business Development Lead, you will drive the growth and diversification of the Human Leadership Academy's charitable income. You'll lead the business development strategy, identify and cultivate new funding opportunities, and build strong partnerships that enhance HLA's financial sustainability and long-term impact. Working closely with colleagues across the HLA and wider organisation, you will be instrumental in positioning the HLA as a leading force for locally led humanitarian leadership development.

In this role, you will:

• Oversee and shape the HLA's business development pipeline, ensuring a balanced mix of funding that supports strategic and programmatic objectives.
• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities across institutional, philanthropic, and corporate markets.
• Build, manage and cultivate relationships with donors, funders and strategic partners across the humanitarian and development ecosystem.
• Coordinate the end-to-end business development process—from opportunity identification to proposal development and smooth handover into delivery.
• Work collaboratively with teams across SCUK and the international movement, ensuring strong internal alignment and representation of HLA in external forums.
• Ensure compliance with internal fundraising processes, maintaining accurate, donor-compliant and audit-ready information throughout the project cycle.

About you

To be successful, it is important that you have:

• Significant experience in institutional and/or philanthropic fundraising, with a proven track record of generating substantial income.
• Strong ability to build partnerships and develop compelling, fundable proposals with clear budgets and value propositions.
• Excellent account management skills with partners and donors across diverse sectors, including governments, institutions, private foundations and corporates such as the Clinton Foundation, Google, AWS, and ECHO, with particular experience in working with FCDO and other institutional donors.
• A solid understanding of the humanitarian system, including funding landscapes, trends, and opportunities.
• Experience managing complex bids and partnerships ideally in excess of £1 million or more.
• Resilience in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, with the ability to adapt and maintain performance under pressure.
• The ability to work proactively, flexibly, and collaboratively in an emergent, people-centred, and agile environment.
• Excellent communication and representational skills, able to articulate strategic vision and influence senior stakeholders.
• A commitment to Save the Children's vision, mission, and values.